Antonio López (footballer, born 1981) facts for kids
López in action for Atlético Madrid in 2007
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Antonio López Guerrero | ||
| Date of birth | 13 September 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Benidorm, Spain | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Left-back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–1999 | Atlético Madrid | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1999–2001 | Atlético Madrid B | 39 | (3) |
| 2000–2012 | Atlético Madrid | 216 | (11) |
| 2002–2004 | → Osasuna (loan) | 71 | (2) |
| 2012–2014 | Mallorca | 17 | (0) |
| Total | 343 | (16) | |
| International career | |||
| 2002–2003 | Spain U21 | 6 | (0) |
| 2005–2007 | Spain | 16 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Antonio López Guerrero (born on 13 September 1981) is a Spanish former professional footballer. He mostly played as a left-back, which is a defensive position on the left side of the field.
Antonio López spent most of his career playing for Atlético Madrid. He played in over 300 matches for the club. During his time there, he helped them win four major titles. These included two Europa League trophies. He also played for Osasuna and Mallorca in La Liga, Spain's top football league.
López also represented his country, Spain, in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Atlético Madrid
Antonio López grew up in Benidorm, Spain. He joined the youth system of Atlético Madrid. He first played for the main team in the 2000–01 season. At that time, Atlético Madrid was in the Segunda División, which is Spain's second division.
He played 20 matches the next season. This helped the team return to La Liga after two years.
Loan to Osasuna
After that, López was loaned to another top-division club, CA Osasuna, for two seasons. He played in almost every league game there. During his time with Osasuna, he scored two goals. Both goals were in the 2002–03 season. One important goal was in a 1–0 home win against RCD Espanyol in December 2002.
Returning to Atlético Madrid
When López returned to Vicente Calderón Stadium, Atlético Madrid's home ground, he quickly became a key player. However, in the 2007–08 season, he sometimes played as a right-back. This was because other teammates were injured. When he played, he was often the team's captain.
On 15 March 2009, López scored a winning goal with a header. Atlético came back from being 2–0 down to beat Villarreal CF at home. He became a starter again after a new coach joined.
Antonio López played most of the 2009–10 season. On 2 January 2010, he scored another important header in the last minute. This goal against Sevilla FC made the score 2–1. On 1 April, he scored in a similar way against Valencia CF in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League.
Atlético Madrid went on to win the Europa League that year. López played the entire 120 minutes of the final match. They beat Fulham 2–1 in Hamburg. As captain, he lifted the trophy.
Time with Mallorca
In May 2012, Antonio López left Atlético Madrid after playing 343 official games. The next month, he signed a two-year contract with RCD Mallorca.
International Career for Spain
Antonio López played for the Spanish national team. His first game was on 30 March 2005. It was a 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Serbia and Montenegro. The game ended in a 0–0 draw.
He scored his only goal for Spain during this qualifying campaign. On 12 October, he scored from 25 meters away. This happened in the first minute of a 6–0 win against San Marino.
López was part of the Spanish squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Spain was eliminated in the round of 16.
International Goal Scored
Antonio López scored one goal for the Spanish national team:
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 October 2005 | Olimpico, Serravalle, San Marino |  San Marino |
1–0 | 6–0 | 2006 World Cup qualification |
Honours and Achievements
Atlético Madrid
- UEFA Europa League: 2009–10, 2011–12
- UEFA Super Cup: 2010
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2007
- Segunda División: 2001–02
- Copa del Rey runner-up: 2009–10
See also
In Spanish: Antonio López (futbolista nacido en 1981) para niños
